Another: After Story
by WoodenStarfish
Summary: The year is 2018, twenty years after the calamity of 1998. The surviving students have long since moved on with their lives and are preparing to make their annual trip back to Yomiyama City for a reunion. The class only wants to reconnect and mourn their lost friends, but this year, fate has something different planned for them.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Rude Awakening

Kouichi Sakakibara didn't know where he was. He didn't know why a fire was consuming the building he was in. He didn't know where Mei was. He only knew that he had to find her and escape before the smoke killed him. Kouichi ran down the endless halls shouting Mei's name as he checked every room. He began coughing from the smoke, so he covered his mouth with his shirt and continued the search. Upon finding yet another hallway, he opened the first door on the right. In the middle of the bedroom stood a figure who covered herself with an open umbrella. "Mei?" asked Kouichi hopefully. The girl closed the umbrella, and Kouichi gasped as he watched blood squirt from her open jugular. "Kouichi, why? Why did you let me die?" Yukari asked.

The boy slammed the door shut, only to hear footsteps behind him. He turned around to see a grown man shuffling towards him. It was none other than Mr. Kubodera, the homeroom teacher. A kitchen knife was still lodged in his throat. The man pulled the knife from his neck, and began shuffling slowly towards Kouichi like a zombie. The boy was terrified, but he refused to flee until he had checked every room for Mei. He sprinted to the next door and flung it open. He was horrified to see another boy his age, convulsing violently on a bed. Then, the other boy stilled, and his head snapped to the side, looking directly into Kouichi's eyes. Kouichi immediately recognized the boy as Ikuo, who died of a heart attack in June. "You just had to ask questions. You couldn't go along with the countermeasures like the rest of us. Are you happy now?"

Before Kouichi could turn away, a loud crash came from the left. He turned around to see that his classmate Takako had fallen through the roof, hanging by the neck from electrical cords. "Your fault," she whispered. Kouichi turned to run further down the hallway only to come face to face with another boy. He was wearing nothing but swim trunks and was dripping wet. His body looked like been through a shredder, with chunks of flesh missing from all over. His left arm was completely torn off, and blood was gushing from the stump. Not giving Junta a chance to speak, Kouichi shoved the corpse to the ground and ran. Moving on to the next room, he flung open the door. Izumi was fixed to the opposite wall by jagged pieces of glass. She looked like a sign nailed to a post, and blood trickled from her wounds onto the floor. Izumi looked up, and tears of blood came from her eyes. "I needed you, and you just forgot me. Couldn't even be bothered to comfort me as I died. Was I nothing to you? Maybe you would have cared if I was Mei."

This time, Kouichi didn't feel fear. This time he felt like he had been punched in the gut. As he backed away, he heard a rumbling come from the end of the hall. He turned and saw that the elevator was coming down fast. It stopped on his floor, and the doors opened with a creak. There he saw a beautiful young nurse, her crushed body lying in a pool of blood. "You killed me. You got me involved in your investigation, and look what happened. You murdered me," Sanae said looking up. Unable to handle it anymore, Kouichi fell to his knees and wept. "I'm sorry," he sobbed, "I didn't want this! I didn't want anyone to get hurt!" Kouichi felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and screamed as he saw that his teacher had finally caught up with him. Mr. Kubodera thrust his blade into Kouichi's chest, and he collapsed. The last thing he heard as darkness took him was his former friends chanting, "your fault."

Kouichi sat up in his bed with a cold sweat. He was panting heavily when he once again felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinctively, Kouichi yelped and swatted the hand away, only to see Mei, not his old teacher, looking back at him with worried eyes. Of course. Kouichi wasn't at _that_ inn, or even in 9th grade anymore. He hadn't lived in Yomiyama City for well over fifteen years. After graduating high school, he had returned to Tokyo and completed culinary school. Now he was living in a comfortable, if small, house with his wife. "I'm sorry, it's just. . ." Kouichi explained, hugging Mei, who finished his sentence.

"You had another nightmare. About those days."

Kouichi only nodded and pulled her closer.

"I still get them too."

"Twenty years. Twenty damn years."

"Love, I don't think this is the sort of thing we'll ever fully get past, no matter how many years go by."

"I know, Mei. But as long as we're together, bad memories are easier to bear."

For a moment, Mei was silent, but then she smiled and said, "Do you remember the first time we really spent time together?"

Kouichi nodded and replied, "It was at your family's doll shop. You showed me the various dolls on display. Wasn't there a pair of conjoined twin dolls?"

"There was. I remember telling you that I couldn't understand how two people so tightly connected could look so calm. How attachment could make one at peace." Mei then rested her head on her husband's chest. "I think I finally understand."

Kouichi smiled and kissed his wife's forehead. Then his smile disappeared as future plans entered his mind. "You know, we don't have to go this year."

"What do you mean? We've gone every other year."

"You weren't expecting then," Kouichi responded, placing his hand gently on Mei's stomach, which had greatly expanded recently.

"Dear, I'm not due for three more weeks, and the pregnancy has gone smoothly so far. Worst case scenario, Yomiyama has a great hospital."

"I know, it's just I don't want anything to happen to you, or the baby."

"We'll be fine. We've made this trip every summer since 9th grade, and we've had no incident."

"I guess you're right. Besides, the others would be mad if we skipped the memorial when it's our turn to bring the flowers this year."

Mei laughed, and the couple went through their morning routine.

Kouichi cooked them both breakfast as the local news played in the background.

"Today the National Museum of Modern Art will be adding new hand drawn pieces to its collection. These drawings, following the romanticist art school, were sold by Sakakibara Mei to the museum. The up and coming artist has gained a small following for her lifelike depictions of dolls, often with added features like angel wings or presented doing normal human activities."

"You hear that Mei? You're finally getting recognized."

Mei was beaming with pride. "I knew my work would catch on eventually, but I never thought it'd get on the tv."

"It's great news. Now if only the news would mention my horror novels," Kouichi said as he placed egg sandwiches at the table.

"Don't worry, by the time we get back from our trip, they'll be calling you the Japanese Stephen King."

"That'd be something. Speaking of the trip, are you all packed?"

"I'm ready. I assume your boss at the restaurant gave you the week off?"

"Yeah, I didn't even have to ask this year. He's familiar with our vacation schedule."

"Well, if everything's taken care of, we should head out. The plane leaves soon."

After breakfast, Kouichi and Mei took their bags and drove to the airport. They had two tickets for Yomiyama City. The 15th annual Yomiyama North Middle School 9th grade class 3 reunion was about to begin.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Homecoming

The flight was pleasantly uneventful, though Kouichi wasn't able to enjoy it much. Everytime he made the annual trip, he worried that the calamity would knock the plane out of the sky. Mei sensed her husband's tension, and held his hand firmly the whole time. After disembarking, the couple walked through the airport until a familiar face called their name. "Hey, Sakakibaras!" cried a soft, but firm voice. The two turned around to see a man their age. He had light reddish brown hair and gray eyes, and he looked at them with a warm and inviting smile. "Yuuya! There you are, old pall," Kouichi said, embracing his friend. After pulling apart, Yuuya took one look at Mei and without hesitation offered his congratulations.

"So, when are you due?"

"In about three weeks."

Yuuya gave her a inquisitive look. "Don't you think you're cutting it a little close?"

"The reunion only lasts a week, and the flight home isn't long at all. We have plenty of time."

Yuuya shrugged, then changed the topic.

"Come on, let me drive you to my home," Yuuya said.

"You don't have to do that, we can get a hotel," Kouichi replied.

"No friends of mine are spending the week in some crummy hotel. I've already prepared a guest room for you guys, and it's much more comfortable than any rented room."

Mei cut in, "Thanks, but it wouldn't be right to make you take care of us when we came prepared."

"And I'm saying it wouldn't be right to leave the both of you to sleep in a small, poorly cleaned room that's been used by God knows who. Especially when you're making your homecoming and one of you is expecting."

"Yuuya, we don't want to be a burden," Kouichi replied, though he was clearly caving.

"You wouldn't be. I'd be happy to have you, especially now that my house is fixed up to have multiple people. Please, do it for me."

"Well, ok. For your sake, I guess," Kouichi teased, eliciting a chuckle from Mei.

Yuuya drove his friends to a two story house. It was larger than what would be expected of a confirmed bachelor, and much better maintained than most Japanese houses in similar neighborhoods.

"Wow. Is my memory failing or did you have some remodeling done?" asked Kouichi.

"Yeah, I had an addition made for extra storage. It cost a lot, but I'm usually pretty frugal, so I had more than enough saved up."

Yuuya took Mei's bags as the three friends walked to the front door. Upon entering, the couple observed that there was very little furniture to be found. Even more shocking, there were many paintings hung all over the walls. While Mei went to go unpack, Kouichi stopped upon finding an old yet familiar one. This painting depicted a lemon with empty eyes and a mouth stretched into a horrified scream.

"Oh my God, Yuuya, you still have this?" Kouichi laughed.

"Of course. I keep all my works. Usually it's because I never know when someone may want to buy one, but this piece is a nostalgic for me."

"Why's that?"

"I made it during _that_ year. In a way it's the only physical reminder of those who passed."

"I understand," Kouichi said, the air growing uncomfortable. "So, your house is more organized than last time we visited."

"No kidding. I've made an effort to be better organized after a little incident with a customer. You see, she came over to see a painting she was considering to buy, when I realized that I had misplaced it."

"Oh, jeez."

"Yeah, I spent like half an hour frantically searching for it. Turns out the customer was the impatient type, and said she'd pay less because I 'wasted her time.'"

"That's tough."

"Yep, but it worked out. I'm better organized and I got my house in working order so I can now have guests."

Just then, a lightbulb appeared to form over Yuuya's head.

"Oh! Before I forget, I have some good news! Some more people from class 3 will be joining us this year!"

"Who exactly is coming?"

'Well, Manabu, Sayuri, Noboru, Matsuko, Daisuke, San, Naoya, and ourselves have always been coming. I also convinced Takeru Mizuno and Yukito Tsujii to visit."

"What?!"

"Yeah, I know it's not that many people. There were six others I tried to convince, but they just wanted to leave it in the past. I guess that makes sense since they didn't even come to the class trip that year. . ."

"No! Takeru hates me because I got his sister killed, and Yukito tried to kill Mei at the inn! And now they're going to see us for a week. Do you have any idea how awkward you made this?"

"Oh, I didn't think about that. Still, if they want to pay their respects they should. Takeru especially has a right to visit, all things considered."

"You're right, it's just. . . this is another thing to worry about. I hope Mei will be okay with this."

As if on cue, Mei emerged from the guest room.

"I think there are more paintings than wall space. It really brightens up the place. Do you intend to sell all of these?" she said.

"Thanks for the compliment," Yuuya replied, "And yeah, eventually I'll sell most of these. Business has been pretty good. There's a pretty big crowd who appreciates my. . . interpretation of everyday objects."

Mei laughed, "I'm sure. You always had an interesting way of seeing the world." She then noticed the anxious look on her husband's face. "Yuuya, could you excuse us for a moment? There's something I need to talk to Kouichi about."

"No problem. While you two talk, I'll set out drinks for us."

Mei walked closer to Kouichi. "You have that look again."

"There's a look?"

"Yeah. You have it when you're worried. Like every time we take a plane."

"Funny. Yuuya was just telling me that we'll have a few more people this year."

Mei's eyebrows rose. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"It's who's coming that is the problem. Remember Yukito Tsujii?"

"Wasn't he one of the people who thought I was the extra and tried to kill me?"

"Yeah, he'll be there."

Mei pursed her lips. "It'll be okay. It was a long time ago, and I don't think he'll try to kill me this time around," she said, smiling a little. "Besides, these reunions are about healing old scars, right? So, who else is coming?"

"Takeru Mizuno. His sister was the nurse who took care of me at the hospital. We shared a love of horror novels and she helped me learn about you back when I thought you were a ghost." Kouichi cringed at how silly his theory was in 9th grade. "If I hadn't been telling her to investigate for me, she might not have been on the roof that day. Maybe she would still be alive."

Mei grabbed Kouichi's hand firmly. "You don't know that. She worked at a hospital right? She would have had to use the elevator at some point. She likely would have died regardless of what you did. You can't blame yourself."

"Somehow, I doubt her brother feels the same way," Kouichi replied glumly.

"Well, this will be your chance to make up with him." Mei looked down the hallway. 'Come on, Yuuya's got some drinks out for us. It'd be rude to keep him waiting," she said, a faint smile appearing on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Old Wounds

Kouichi walked along a riverbank, hoping to clear his head. He enjoyed the serenity of it all. The warm spring sun. The smell of fresh grass. The soothing noise of the river. Kouichi closed his eyes as he walked, immersing himself with the calming effects of nature. He had begun to zone out when a piercing shriek brought him back to reality. He looked around and saw a bridge over the river. It was hard to see, but it looked like two figures on the bridge were struggling. Eventually, one overpowered the other and threw them into the water. As the victorious person fled the scene, Kouichi ran to rescue the one in the river. He saw a body floating as the currents dragged it away. Without hesitating, Kouichi took off his shoes and jumped into the river, swimming towards the body. Kouichi didn't even try to get a good look or identify the person as he dragged them ashore.

Kouichi laid the body in the grass and checked for injuries. The victim's shirt was drenched in blood in several places. These were likely the result of stab wounds, but Kouichi had no idea how to treat them without supplies. Kouichi turned the body on its back, only to see more stab wounds on the stomach. He then took a long hard glance at the face and gasped. It was a young woman with long straight brown hair. Kouichi immediately recognized her as his dead aunt, Reiko. Just then, her eyes sprung open, but instead of being brown, they were black and empty like a void. "Kouichi," the corpse moaned, "why did you murder me? I loved you." Before he could answer, her body began to rapidly decay before his eyes. Reiko's flesh withered away as worms, maggots, and other such creatures poured out of her cuts. Soon, there was nothing left of Reiko but a rotting skeleton. Then it sat up and stared at Kouichi. He began backing away, his mouth agape with horror. The skeleton let out a deafening screech before lunging at Kouichi.

Kouichi woke up screaming. Mei got up and hugged him, shouting, "Kouichi! Look at me, it was just a dream! It was just a dream!" Kouchi got a hold of himself and returned the hug.

"I. . . I had another nightmare."

"I kinda figured that from the screaming. Was it about the calamity again?"

"No. It was about Reiko. I watched her murder. I couldn't save her. Then she asked why I killed her back at the inn."

"It's over now. I'm here."

Kouichi kissed his wife and held her closely. "I don't know if coming here was the right thing. Maybe we've just been picking at old scabs. Maybe that's why we've still had nightmares all these years."

"No, this is good for us. It helps us cope with loss. It also gives us a chance to pay respects to our dead friends and family. Would you want to forget them? Any of them?"

"Of course not Mei. This. . . this is just so hard to deal with."

"I know. We'll do this together. When my sister died, I felt all alone in the world. I felt like the light in my life had been snuffed out. Still, I continued to visit her. I brought the doll she loved most from my family's store to her in the morgue. It would be my parting gift to her. Everytime I thought of her, it hurt me. But the thought of forgetting the good times we had hurt me more. That's why we do this. To remember the good moments we made with the people we loved. Those moments will always be ours. Not even cruel death can take them from us."

"Thank you, Mei. I needed to hear that. You're right. I don't think I could do this without you."

"We need each other, Kouichi. That's why our relationship is so strong."

The couple eased into each other's embrace. They felt solace in the bond that only two people with a shared pain can understand. The moment was quickly ruined when Yuuya burst through the door.

"I heard a scream, are you guys alright?" he blurted out with concern, causing the couple to jump in surprise.

"Oh, Yuuya! Yeah, we're ok, I just had a bad dream."

"Oh. Yeah, I used to get those for a long time. Naoya too. Usually about that crazy hostess lady from the inn. She's chasing us through the burning building, but in the dreams Sensei Chibiki doesn't save us."

"That's rough. Mine was about Mikami-san."

Yuuya looked at Kouichi with confusion. "Who?"

"My aunt, Reiko. You know, she was the assistant homeroom teacher that year?"

"Did we have a assistant homeroom teacher? I don't remember that at all."

"You know what, never mind. You can go back to bed. See you in the morning."

"Alright. Goodnight you two."

When Yuuya left, Kouichi turned to Mei. "I can't believe he's forgotten her. I was pretty sure he really had the hots for my aunt that year."

"That's what always happens to the 'extra' every year. They get removed from everyone's memories and even the school records."

"I know. It's still jarring."

There was a long quiet before Mei spoke. "Are you going to be able to sleep again?"

"Yeah. I usually don't get more than one nightmare per night. I should be able to get back to sleep."

"Alright. Good night, husband. We have a big day tomorrow."

 _The next morning_

"Here we are. Yomiyama City Cemetery," Yuuya said as he parked his car. He and the Sakakibaras got out of the vehicle and gazed upon the many cherry trees that lined the landscape. Kouichi opened the trunk and pulled out a large bag of flowers. Mei observed that the cemetery seemed very quiet and empty. "It looks like we are the first ones here," she said. "Not quite, but close!" called out a voice in response. The three heads turned and saw someone jogging towards them. Upon taking a closer look, the friends noticed it was a man with sandy brown hair and light brown eyes. They smiled upon recognizing the man as Naoya Teshigawara. Naoya clasped hands with Yuuya and gave an enthusiastic greeting to Kouichi. However, when his eyes reached Mei, they nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Holy crap, Mei, you've got a bun in the oven!" he exclaimed.

Kouichi and Yuuya laughed. Mei smiled and said, "Well that's one way to wish someone congratulations."

"Of course, congratulations, I'm so happy for you guys," Naoya replied before bombarding the couple with questions. "When're you due? What's the gender? Have you picked out a name? If it's a boy will you name him after me?"

"Calm down, man. You're gonna overwhelm them," Yuuya said, though he couldn't help grinning.

"I'm due in three weeks, as for the gender, we wanted it to be a surprise, so we don't know. Therefore, we'll choose a name right after the baby's born," Mei replied.

"So, how's our favorite baseball star doing?" asked Kouichi.

Naoya shrugged sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Honestly, this season's been pretty rough. The team's been losing pretty bad. How have you guys been doing?"

They all took turns filling him in on their respective careers and personal lives. The atmosphere was surprisingly cheery considering the somberness of the location.

"Hey, did you remember the supplies?" asked Yuuya.

"Yep," Naoya replied. "I brought plenty of food. Both for the graves and for ourselves."

All of a sudden, the four heard several car engines behind them. They turned and saw their friends park and step out. Sayuri, Matsuko, Daisuke, and San waved at the group and approached. They all exchanged greetings and caught up. Some of the newcomers had brought supplies of their own, such as incense. Daisuke had brought an excessive amount of medicine for his inhaler, having become paranoid of running out since his asthma attack at the inn twenty years ago. Everyone made sure to congratulate Mei on her pregnancy. Yuuya then noticed someone was missing.

"Hey, where's Noboru? He usually arrives about the same time as you guys."

There was a pause before Sayuri replied. "I haven't heard from him, but he probably just slept in too late. He does that. I'm sure he'd call if it was something serious."

This seemed to satisfy the group, with most of them shrugging in agreement.

Then, two more cars arrived. Out stepped Yukito and Takeru from their respective vehicles. Kouichi instantly felt a chill run up his spine. Some of the group members went to greet the latecomers. Takeru became engaged in a conversation immediately, but Yukito walked straight up to Mei. Kouchi held her hand as he waited for the thin man with glasses to speak.

"I see you're having a baby. Congratulations," Yukito started quietly.

"Thank you."

After a long pause, Yukito said, "Listen, about the broom, at the inn, when I thought you were the extra. . ."

Mei cut him off, "You were scared, you thought you were going to die. I understand. I'm not angry with you."

Yukito looked up, "I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am for what I did."

"I know. I forgive you."

Yukito breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Thank you. I'm glad to hear you say that."

Sayuri then ran up to Yukito and tapped his arm. "It's good to see you again, Yukito. Read any good books lately?"

The two friends smiled and walked away as they caught up on their shared love of literature.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Kouichi mused.

"See, this is all about healing. Are you going to talk to Takeru?" asked Mei.

"Eventually. Just not right now."

Then, all conversations stopped as everyone's attention was grabbed by a voice calling, "I hope you weren't planning on starting without me!" The crowd looked to see a man with short black hair and gray eyes. He was very short, which was made only worse by his slight slouch and use of a cane.

"Manabu!" cried Takeru.

"Hey, Takeru. Heard you and Yukito finally decided to show up to one of the reunions."

"Yeah, Yuuya said it would be good for us," Takeru replied, though his eyes were clearly focused on Manabu's cane instead of his face. This didn't escape the latter's notice.

"I guess no one told you about this. Yeah, I can still walk after that night, but that old bitch did a number on my back with that knife of hers. It's tough to move without support."

"Geez, that's rough. I'm sorry to hear that."

There was a brief awkward silence, which was broken by Naoya observing, "Hey, this will be our first time doing this without Sensei Chibiki." Everyone thought about their old teacher. He had died in April, being very old and with failing health. Many there credited him for saving them during that dreadful night at the inn. Now there would be yet another grave to lay flowers and incense at. "We should probably start," said Yuuya.

Everyone in the group took some supplies and spread out. Everyone went to the grave of the departed they missed most. They started cleaning the grave, laying flowers, and burning incense. It was quiet as everyone prayed at the graves. Mei unsurprisingly went to the grave of her twin sister, Misaki Fujioka.

"Hello, sister," she started. "I miss you dearly. I've thought about you every day since you died. It's been very hard. You were my best friend when there was no one else. You brought out the best in me, and made me a little braver. I hope I was able to give you as much during the time we spent together." Mei paused before continuing. "I've met someone you know. He's very special to me. His name is Kouichi Sakakibara. We met the night you died. He helped me deal with the calamity, and saved my life a few times. We're married, you know. That's right, Fujioka. You have a brother in law now. And soon you'll have a nephew or niece. I love them both so much, and I know you would too if you could meet them. I wish to heaven I could introduce you to them, but I know the most I can hope for is that you're resting in peace. That you're in a place with no pain or fear," Mei finished, holding back a tear.

In another part of the cemetery, Kouichi was taking care of Aunt Reiko's grave. "Hey, Auntie. It's been a while, but today, it feels like I'm just now losing you again. I miss your advice, your kindness, and how I could go to you with anything. I'm sorry we never caught the man who took you away, and I'm even more sorry I had to send you back to death all those years ago. I love you, Reiko-nee. You were like a second mother to me."

Kouichi then went and paid respects at his mother's grave. This time he didn't say anything, having never met his mother because she died giving birth to him. He just prayed silently, wishing he could have met her. As he finished, he noticed Takeru at Sanae's grave. Takeru had just finished speaking to it when he looked over and saw Kouichi. He gestured for Kouichi to come over, so he got up and approached Takeru.

"Hello, Kouichi," he started, "It's been a very long time. There's something I need to say to you."

Kouichi winced, expecting a tongue lashing for getting Sanae killed.

"Thank you," Takeru said instead.

"What?"

"Thank you. For being her friend."

"I don't understand. I thought you hated me. I thought you blamed me for getting your sister involved and causing her death."

"I did. I did for the longest time. But eventually I realized something. The calamity would have taken her one way or another, with or without your meddling. That's what the curse did. It took people in our class and our families without reason or care. I hated you, but you were a scapegoat. I really hated myself. I hated myself for not being there for her, for never talking to her. Do you know what that last thing I said to my sister was? I yelled at her to stop asking questions about Mei, and to just shut up and drop it. I was mean to her because I was so scared of the calamity. That's the last memory I have of her, and the last one she had of me. The real reason I was so angry is because I wish I had been a better brother."

Kouichi listened to Takeru's speech quietly. When he had finish, Kouichi put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Listen, Sanae talked about you a little. She knew you weren't close, but she loved you. A lot."

"I know she did. I loved her too, even if I didn't show it much. I'm grateful she had you as a friend to make her a little happier before she died."

The two left and regrouped with the others, who were finishing their memorials. Everyone got together at a nearby campground to eat lunch. They talked about memories of their deceased friends, joked around, and smiled together. In that moment, everyone felt happy and at peace.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Storm Breaks

The atmosphere was lighthearted as the class of 1998 enjoyed their picnic. They discussed their careers, families, and other details of their lives while eating the food Naoya had brought. As the day went on, the sky became cloudier, but no one seemed to notice. Everyone was calm and having fun, except for one person. Yuuya couldn't shake the bad feeling he had, as Noboru still hadn't arrived yet. Everyone else assumed he had gotten stuck in traffic or fallen ill, and avoided worrying about it. As lunch was finishing up, Yuuya couldn't stand it anymore.

"That's it. It's not like him to fail to show up, and then not send a message telling us. I'm calling him," Yuuya said standing up.

"If that will make you feel better," Naoya replied, "but I think you're overreacting."

Yuuya walked off and pulled out his cell phone. He talked in the distance as the rest of the group packed their things. He returned a minute later, his face pale.

"I just spoke to Noboru's wife. She was hysterical. She said she had just gotten word that Noboru was killed in a car crash just inside the town borders," Yuuya said grimly.

At this, everyone froze. Then the silence was broken by the roar of thunder in the distance. Rain fell as fear creeped into every person present. Daisuke panickedly whipped out his inhaler and put it to use. Sayuri began having flashbacks of that terrifying night at the inn. "No, no no!," she screamed, completely losing her cool, "I can't do this again! We were supposed to be safe!" Sayuri then bolted to her car while opening an umbrella she brought in case of a storm.

San attempted to chase after her while calling, "Wait, Sayuri, it could just be a coincidence! It might not be the curse!" As if to debunk her reassurance, lightning came down and struck the metal tip of Sayuri's umbrella. With a final scream, the petite girl collapsed dead. Now all the remaining people were in a panic. The rest of the group began to make a run for their cars, presumably to flee the city.

"Everyone, STOP!" Kouichi yelled out, and to his surprise, everyone did. "We can't lose our minds. That's how so many of us died years ago. Remember how everyone who tried to leave the city during the calamity was killed? We need to stay calm and think this through."

"What are you saying, that we should just hang around until we've all been killed off?" Matsuko asked loudly.

"No I'm just saying. . ." Kouichi started, only for Mei to firmly grab his arm.

"Kouichi, I. . ." she started, worrying about the fluid that had just started leaking from her womb, "I think my water just broke."

Kouichi's jaw dropped. "But we had three weeks!"

"Kouichi, I need to get to a hospital, NOW!"

Kouichi took Mei by the hand went to his car, with the other group members staying with Sayuri's body while Yukito called an ambulance. Yuuya and Naoya followed the Sakakibaras. They all drove to the city's hospital. Despite the heavy rain, everyone made it without accident. Kouichi parked in the emergency lot as Mei finished calling her doctor in Tokyo asking her to send all relevant information to the hospital. After being admitted, Mei was rushed in a wheelchair to the Labor and Delivery section of the hospital. Mei was lying down, surrounded by doctors and her husband.

"Be honest, will my wife and child be alright?" asked Kouichi.

"Given no further abnormalities, your wife should be fine. As for your baby, well that's a little harder to predict. Premature birth is the most common killer of newborns and children under five. However, most of those deaths are babies born over a month too early. The fact that your child is only three weeks too soon means that most likely he or she will survive with minimal long term complications."

Kouichi responded by nodding. He then prayed to the Seven Gods of Fortune for his family's safety. "Benzaiten, Bishamonten, Daikokuten, Ebisu, Fukurokuju, Hotei, Jurōjin, please hear my prayer. I beg you, save my wife and child," he said over and over again in his heart.

Meanwhile outside the room, Yuuya and Naoya discussed the day's events. "I don't understand, we've done this for years and the calamity never got us like this," Naoya said. "Two of us, dead, in one day. It couldn't be anything other than the curse."

Yuuya stood deep in thought for a moment. "I get it now!" he said. "Sensei Chibiki died at the beginning of the school year, right? That means he couldn't show the instructional tape to the incoming class. They couldn't have worked to find the 'extra' person to end the curse. The calamity occurred as usual, with the current 9th grade having no way to stop it."

"So what are we supposed to do? Hunt down this random mystery kid and kill him?" Naoya asked bewildered.

"Of course not, it's summer vacation. We have no easy way of finding all of class 3, let alone finding out who the dead one is."

"We have to do something. The calamity has to be what caused Mei to go into labor three weeks early, that can't be a coincidence. If we don't do something, Mei and her baby might die."

"The only way to stop this permanently is too. . ." Yuuya stopped for a moment, wondering if he was seriously going to suggest this. It was crazy, but it just might work.

"Is to what? How do we save Mei and the baby?!"

"This happens every year because of one class's actions. Actions that made the school 'close to death.' We have to remove the thing that attracts death, and everything will go back to normal."

"But the administration refuses to cut the ninth grade down to only two classes."

"I know," Yuuya says glumly, "which is why we'll have to remove the whole junior high."

"Wait, so you're saying we have to blow up the. . ." Naoya was then cut off by Yuuya placing his hand over the athlete's mouth.

"Don't say that so loud, we're in public!"

"Sorry," Naoya apologized, though it was impossible to understand through the painter's hand.

Yuuya took Naoya outside to the parking lot, where their cars were. The rain and winds were heavy and loud, louder than the occasional thunder. Perfect for covering a conversation. Yuuya looked over his shoulder to make sure there was noone to hear him before shouting through the storm. "Listen, I think I know of a way to destroy the school. We need to light a gas leak, that's the fastest way to blow up a whole building."

"But won't that require someone to be _inside_ the school to light it?"

"Not if we create a trail of gasoline that leads from the gas leak to the outside. We simply need to light one end and run like hell."

"But what if there are people working inside? Just because it's summer doesn't mean it will be abandoned."

"It's getting late, and this storm keeps getting worse. Between the pouring rain and strong winds, I'm sure everyone will be dismissed."

"This plan of yours is pretty risky, Yuuya. It needs a lot of things to go perfectly, plus, you know what will happen if we're caught."

"Look, Kouichi and Mei are our friends. Right now one of them is in danger along with their baby. I'm willing to take risks to save them. Are you?"

Naoya nodded and replied, "Alright, let's do this. I got a big ass gas can at home. You go get the things we'll need to break into the school. We'll meet there."

And so, the two young men left to execute either their best plan or their worst.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Clouds Part

The storm had only gotten worse since Yuuya and Naoya left the hospital. The rain was so heavy that it was nearly impossible to see outside their windshields. Fortunately, nearly everyone else in the small town had gone home to wait out the storm, so there was little risk of crashing into other drivers. Gathering the necessary supplies had been harder than anticipated. Not only did tools for breaking in need to be found, but as it turned out, Naoya's gas can wasn't nearly as full as it would need to be. Naoya had to go buy more gas while Yuuya had to buy a variety of wrenches. He had no idea what size the school's gas pipes would be, so he had to buy a wide range to be safe. Overall, their scavenger hunt wasted a good deal of time, time they feared they did not have to lose. Anxiously, the two arrived at Yomiyama North Middle School. They exited their cars, only to be nearly thrown to the ground by the fierce winds. It sounded as though a banshee was screaming through the storm. As Yuuya and Naoya trudged through the rain and winds, struggling with each step, they couldn't help but wonder if some supernatural force was conspiring to stop their mission. Their hooded coats did little to prevent them from feeling the strength of nature, and even Naoya found it difficult to maintain the vice like grip needed to avoid dropping the tools he brought. After walking forward for what felt like an hour, the duo make it from the parking lot to the school entrance.

"Remember, when we brake in an alarm will probably sound immediately! We have to be quick if we want to get out of here before the police come!" Yuuya shouted, his soft voice struggling to overcome the clamor of the storm around them.

Naoya nodded in understanding before tightening his grip on his metal baseball bat. "This is for Kouichi and Mei," he whispered before lifting his bat above his head, preparing to smash the glass door.

Meanwhile at the hospital, Mei was about to give birth. By her side, Kouichi firmly held her hand, hoping that the gods had heard his prayer. "You're almost there, just push," instructed the doctor. Mei cried out in pain as she went through labor. Kouichi winced he thought about how quickly this was all happening. "This isn't right," he thought to himself, "giving birth for the first time usually takes much longer than this." Slowly but surely, the baby came out, as the doctor held up the newborn girl, Mei gasped at what she saw. Her daughter's body was smaller than average, causing the head to look disproportionately larger, if only slightly. The child had slightly less fat than a typical newborn. Her skin, just as pale as her mother's, looked very thin. If one looked carefully, one could faintly see the blood vessels underneath. She also had fine hair, called lanugo, on her back and shoulders. However, none of these physical abnormalities caused Mei's reaction. Mei's surprise was caused by something no one else could see. Something that could only be seen with her glass left eye. While everyone in the room could only see how pale the baby was, Mei saw a different color on her child. A color that was otherworldly, not belonging with colors like red and blue. Mei recognized it as the same color she saw on her sister on her last day in the hospital. It was the color of death.

"Quickly, get the baby to an incubator! Without the usual amount of body fat she can't produce enough heat on her own!" the doctor ordered. As most of the staff left with the child, Mei grabbed her husband's hand. "Kouichi, wait," she said weakly, tired out from the pains of labor.

Kouichi looked at his wife with concern, "What's wrong?"

"I saw our baby, she was the color of death."

Kouichi's eyes widened. "Are you sure? Maybe she looked that way because you just went through. . ."

"Kouichi, she looked just like my sister and your aunt before they died!" Mei interrupted.

Kouichi was silent for a moment, processing what Mei had said. All of a sudden, a calm filled him. He didn't know why, but he had faith that their daughter would survive. His face became firm, and he looked into Mei's eyes. "Mei, I promise you, our baby will not die. She will be healthy, and you and I will raise her together. We'll be a family together."

"Kouichi, my glass eye has never been wrong."

"I'm telling you, Mei, our daughter will not die. In fact, let's pick out a name."

"A name?"

"Our baby will live, so we'll name her. Any ideas?"

Mei racked her brain for girl names. "Misaki. I want to name her after my sister."

"That's good. We could make her middle name Reiko, too."

Mei looked at her husband and smiled. "I'd like that."

The couple embraced as a nurse walked into the room. "We have your daughter connected to several machines to help her breathing and maintain her body temperature. If you're ready, you can name her now." After Kouichi wrote down Sakakibara Reiko Misaki, Mei spoke up. "Take us to our baby."

The nurse turned towards Mei and said, "With respect, you just gave birth, you really should be resting and recovering."

"I don't care. I want to see my daughter. Now."

Seeing that Mei would not be dissuaded, the nurse brought out a wheelchair. Kouichi helped Mei into it, and the nurse brought them to where the child was being cared for.

Back at Yomiyama North Middle School, Yuuya and Naoya were rushing to finish their plan. Just as Yuuya feared, the school's alarm went off the second Naoya's bat broke the glass door. Naoya raced to the school's basement where the gas pipes would be exposed, while Yuuya trailed gasoline behind them. After finding the correct pipe, Yuuya opened up the tool box and began trying the wrenches. As each one failed to fit the pipe, the team became more and more frantic.

"How could you buy a wrench of every size and still not find the right one!" Naoya shouted.

"Dammit, I bought every size I saw at the shop, I don't know what's wrong!"

"Screw this!" Naoya roared as he picked up his bat. After several furious swings, the pipe broke. Gas rushed out, and the foul odor found its way into the nostrils of the duo. Yuuya dumped out the remaining gas in a puddle near the leak and ran with Naoya close behind. After reaching the entrance they had come from, Yuuya dashed straight for his vehicle. Naoya lit a match and dropped it at the start of the liquid trail. As soon as the fire started along its fateful journey, the athlete bolted for his own car. No sooner had the two left the parking lot when a deafening boom sounded from behind them. Naoya turned his head to see the school he once attended collapse in on itself. He hoped it would be enough to permanently end the calamity.

While Yuuya and Naoya were in the school, The Sakakibaras were watching anxiously as the doctors frantically discussed Misaki's health. The couple had to be kept at a distance to avoid getting in the doctors' way, but they could tell from the body language that something was wrong. As a nurse came out of the room to where the couple waited, Mei called out, "Nurse, what's going on in there?"

The nurse bit her lower lip and paused, debating if it would be best to tell them.

"Please, as parents we have to know what's happening to our baby," Kouichi pleaded.

Finally, the nurse said, "The baby's breathing and heartbeat have slowed dramatically. We're not sure why this is happening, but it has gotten dangerously low."

As the nurse left, Kouichi and Mei felt their hearts sink. In spite of this news, Kouichi refused to believe that his daughter would die. "I don't care what the nurse said. Misaki will survive."

"And if she doesn't?" Mei asked quietly.

"She will," was Kouichi's response.

"How can you be so sure?" Mei asked.

Kouichi was quiet for a moment, before turning to his wife. "I'm not sure how I know, but I just know our baby will be okay." He didn't know if it was just hopeful thinking, but Kouichi simply did not believe there was a chance Misaki would die. Still, Kouichi renewed his prayer, just to be safe.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, a doctor slowly walked out of the room. He looked at the young couple uncomfortably before opening his mouth to speak. "Kouichi, Mei, I'm so sorry." Without even hearing the rest, they both felt as though they had been punched in the gut. "Your baby's heart just stopped. Nothing we have tried can start it up again. Your child is dead."

Outside the hospital's parking lot, Yuuya and Naoya existed their vehicles. Yuuya put his hand on his friend's shoulder before he could go inside.

"Hey, Naoya, how about we don't tell Kouichi and Mei what just happened, alright?"

"Why? They won't rat on us. Besides, if we did stop the calamity forever. . ."

"Look, what we did was highly illegal. I don't think saving future generations of 9th graders is going to hold up in court, alright? Besides, we don't need to put this whole mess on their minds. They've got enough on their plate with the new baby and all."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

With that, the two went into the hospital to see their friends.

Outside the emergency room, it had taken no time at all for Mei to burst into tears. For Kouichi, he had just stared for a moment, refusing to accept the information he had just been given. Finally, his mind finished processing, and tears pricked his eyes. Kouichi wrapped his arms around Mei and cried softly next to her.

"Your mom, my eye, my sister, your aunt, now our baby. . . death just keeps taking from us. When will it be enough?" Mei asked through sobs.

The doctor shifted his feet uncomfortably. He hated it when he had to deliver news like this to patients. It never got easier.

Hey! We got a pulse! The heartbeat started up again!" called a voice from inside the room.

Kouichi's and Mei's heads shot up. "What?" they asked in unison.

The doctor rushed back into the room, leaving the Sakakibaras dumbfounded. Their baby was alive again? There was still hope. After a few agonizing minutes, the doctor from before came out with little Misaki. "We can't explain it, but your baby is perfectly healthy. She's beginning to look as healthy as a normal child. I don't know what to say, except someone up there must really like you."

The doctor handed the baby to Mei, who had started crying tears of relief. Meanwhile, Kouichi sent up a thank you to every god he could name. "Now there are a few long term issues to consider with any premature baby," the doctor continued. "For example, we recommend breastfeeding over bottles to ensure preemies get all the necessary nutrients. Also, make sure to treat every infection quickly. I can put together a list of antibiotics that fight the most common diseases responsible for infant mortality. Do either of your families have a history of allergies related to any medicines I should know about?"

"No, nothing like that," Kouichi replied.

Just then, a voice called out from down the hall. "Hey, there you guys are!"

The couple turned and saw Yuuya and Naoya walking towards them. Yuuya shushed the athlete, reminding him of where they were.

"Where did you guys disappear to?" asked Kouichi.

"We didn't want to take up space in the delivery room, and we thought you would have preferred just family present," Yuuya lied, knowing he wasn't very convincing.

"We wouldn't have minded you being here, you're our friends," Mei said, though her eyes were on the baby.

Kouichi felt there was something not being said, but he didn't want to push the matter further. What mattered was that everyone was safe and alive. Then his thoughts turned to the rest of the class. "Hey, did either of you check up on the others? We kinda left them in a hurry."

"On the drive back to the hospital I called the others. They all made it back to their hotels okay after Sayuri's body was removed. They're all shaken up, especially Yukito, but they'll be alright," Yuuya said, this at least being accurate.

Naoya looked at the newborn and smiled. "How cute! What's the baby's name?"

"Misaki. We named her Misaki," Mei said.

"Aw, I guess I won't be getting a boy named after m- Ow! I was just kidding!" Naoya said as Yuuya elbowed him.

The Sakakibaras burst into laughter, not at the joke, but in relief that the whole ordeal was finally over. The other two boys joined in, filling the whole room with laughter. Outside the hospital, the rains ceased, the winds were silenced, and the clouds parted. Peace returned to Yomiyama City.


	6. Epilogue

Epilogue

On a sunny Saturday in Tokyo, a young woman and a four year old girl walked down the sidewalk. The woman had chin-length black hair and reddish-brown eyes. The girl, who happily skipped next to her mother, had matching eyes, but her long hair was in a ponytail and was brown, similar to her father's. As the two traveled, the little girl noticed something off about a taxi driver they had passed.

"Mommy, that man looks funny," she observed, pointing with her right arm.

"Misaki, it isn't polite to point," Mei reprimanded, gently lowering her daughter's arm. "Besides, most taxi drivers dress like that."

"But he's a weird color! One I haven't seen before!" the girl insisted.

"A weird. . . color?" Mei asked. She lifted up her eyepatch and sure enough, the driver was the color of death.

Before Mei could say anything, the man started his car and took off. While he was crossing an intersection, a large truck smashed into his side, totalling the taxi. Mei gasped, and immediately pulled out her phone to call an ambulance.

"Mommy, will that man be okay?" asked Misaki, tugging on her mom's shirt. Mei shushed her daughter as she told the responder about the accident. When she put away her phone, Misaki repeated her question.

"Yes, he'll be just fine," Mei lied. "Now I'm going to have to call your father to take you home. I'll need to stay here so I can tell the police how this happened," she explained as she started to dial Kouichi's number.

After finishing the call, Mei thought about what she had just discovered. Even without a missing eye, her daughter had the special sight. She could see when people were near death naturally. It must be because of the near death experience at the hospital after her birth. A similar event had given Mei the sight, after all. As Mei waited for the police and her husband, she wondered how something as grim as this could be explained to someone so young.

Later that night, Misaki was playing with a doll upstairs in her room. "Misaki, please come downstairs. Your mother and I have something to talk to you about," called Kouichi. Misaki came downstairs and saw her parents seated at the dinner table.

"After much discussion, your mother and I have decided to tell you about why the taxi driver you saw today looked weird to you."

Misaki nodded. "Yeah, he was colored funny."

"I know. Now listen closely, because this is very important. First, let's start with why Mommy covers her left eye. . ."

The End


End file.
